


all my dreams fulfilled

by bananaquit



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Diners, Fluff, M/M, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 16:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13616886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananaquit/pseuds/bananaquit
Summary: for my darling, i love youand i always will.





	all my dreams fulfilled

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from an anon on tumblr: anderperry late night diner date?
> 
> title and summary are from the song "love me tender" by elvis

For once in his life, Todd didn’t dwell on the consequences. He just laughed as Neil pulled him along by the hand and they ran down the grassy slope at the edge of campus. The pair approached town with Neil practically dragging Todd along in all his excitement, both of them high on the thrill of breaking the rules, of sneaking away. They’d left Hellton after hours before for Dead Poets meetings, but this was different, even more taboo, even more forbidden.

This was going to be an official, unequivocal _date_.

The sky was dark, but the streetlights they walked under were as bright as their young spirits, buzzing and humming with electricity. When they got to the movie theater, Todd paused outside. Neil stopped and looked back at him, wondering what the reason for the delay was.

“Neil, how are you gonna pay for this?” Todd asked. Neil grinned and pulled a leather wallet out of his pocket. Todd's eyes widened and he couldn't help but giggle, rolling his eyes. “Is that Charlie's wallet?”

“He won't miss a few bucks.” said Neil, smirking as he leafed through the abundance of cash inside. Sometimes having an obscenely rich friend had its perks.

Todd was grateful there weren’t many people in the movie theater when they slipped into the back row, shrouded in shadow. Those who were there were mainly teenage couples who were all so focused on each other that they paid no mind to the two. They were safely hidden the darkness, in their own little perfectly invisible space. They could almost pretend they were like any other couple there, like it wasn't weird for Neil to be leaning his head on his shoulder in that endearing way that made Todd feel warmth beyond just his body heat. It was an illusion of freedom, of acceptance, of normalcy. The moment belonged to them.

Todd spent more time watching Neil than he spent watching the movie. The feeling of their hands clasped together was far more captivating than the film itself. The sensation never really got old, only more familiar. He couldn’t help but giggle a bit when Neil jumped at a minor scare, Neil’s fingers tightening around Todd’s clammy palms despite the sweat. Neil smiled and turned to him, beautiful even in the dim light of the screen. He cupped Todd's cheek with his hand and pulled him close.

They shared a soft kiss that Todd pulled out of after a few seconds. He glanced around, scanning to see if anyone had taken notice of them, afraid of the repercussions of being seen. Neil gently turned Todd’s face back towards him, smiling softly in a way that made Todd’s heart flutter in his chest. He returned the next kiss eagerly, tuning out the world around him and focusing only on Neil, only on how warm and wonderful his lips felt.

When Todd had first arrived at Welton, making out with another boy in the back of a movie theater in the middle of the night was not something he’d ever pictured himself doing, but here he was. Todd didn’t usually go out of his way to break the rules, but he was so glad he had. They melted together, tongues exploring each other’s mouths as Todd placed his hand on Neil’s neck. From that moment on, the movie was forgotten.

The movie ended sooner than either of of them would have liked. They dashed out of the theater and down the street to the local diner. Their sneakers squeaked on the sticky checkered floor as they slid into a booth, side-by-side. While they waited for their food to arrive, they talked about the movie, laughing about their favorite parts and doing silly impressions of the characters.

The waitress placed a stack of pancakes on the table and the two dug in immediately, not caring that it was one in the morning. Todd fed Neil pieces of pancake, snickering when Neil managed to get syrup all over his face and gently wiping it off with a napkin. He had to stop himself from pressing a quick kiss to Neil’s lips. It was much brighter in here than in the theater and neither of them wanted to be asked to leave.

They shared a milkshake, smiling when their faces got close and giggling as they played footsie under the table. When they finished, Todd finally worked up the courage to lean close and kiss Neil’s cheek. He didn't care if anyone saw them, since they were leaving soon anyway. Neil smiled and turned to give him a quick kiss on the lips, earning a couple disapproving glares from the few other patrons in the diner.

Neil took his hand once more and led Todd out of the diner and back into the night. Neil started back in the direction of school, but Todd stopped. Neil looked back to him. His blue irises reflected pinpricks of the streetlights, creating tiny, glimmering stars in his eyes that were more brilliant than anything in the sky.

“Follow me.” said Todd. He suddenly took off down the street, tugging Neil with him. Neil was usually the one dragging Todd on crazy adventures, but he had no problem with the role switch. Neil giggled and held his hand tighter, happily running after his boyfriend. Neil’s laugh was contagious and bubbled up to burst out of Todd’s mouth, the sweetest harmony Neil had ever heard. Todd dodged between buildings and dashed through alleyways as they cut across town, giggling wildly, their hands clasped tightly and their breath puffing into the cool night air.

As Todd sprinted down another sidewalk, he came to a sudden stop as he crashed into someone. Todd released Neil’s hand and stumbled back, stammering out apologies. That was when he recognized the face of the man he’d so unceremoniously collided with.  
  
“Mr. Keating?!” Todd spluttered, stiffening and freezing up, his muscles taut and tense. Keating, who was out on a stroll for contemplative reasons, looked startled for a millisecond, but the look quickly disappeared from his face. He smiled as he looked knowingly between the two.

“Carpe noctem, boys.” Keating whispered, putting a finger to his lips before walking on as if nothing had ever happened. Neil blinked blankly at Todd, his eyes wide and his blush visible even in the dim streetlights. Todd let out a breathy laugh of disbelief.  
  
“M-maybe we should go back.” he mumbled, suddenly losing his nerve as he watched Keating disappear around a corner. Todd was suddenly afraid that they might run into someone else they knew. Keating might not care what their relationship status was, but he didn’t think many others would share the same viewpoint.  
  
Neil gaped at him for a moment before tangling their fingers back together and composing himself again. “What were you gonna show me?” he pried, unwilling to give up that easily.  
  
“I… I guess I thought we could find a spot out of town and look at the stars, bu-”  
  
“Well, come on.” Neil said. He darted off before Todd could even finish, leaving Todd running after him.

They were near the edge of town and it didn’t take long for the lights to fade behind them as Todd chased Neil into the darkness. Neil finally stopped near the woods on the edge of the grassy expanse between the town and Welton. It wasn’t quite on school grounds, but was far enough away from town that the stars were clearly visible in the dark sky and their silhouettes were invisible to any onlookers. Neil flopped down on his back on the grass, his smile bright and visible even in the dark. Todd plopped down beside him and pressed against his side, sprawling out on the cool ground and shaking his head vaguely as he caught his breath.

Neil moved down to rest his head on Todd’s shoulder, laying an arm across his chest and cuddling close. “How’s this?” Neil breathed, eyes sparkling with amusement.  
  
Todd breathed out in an amused huff, watching the fog of his breath dissipate into the abyss of sky. “You’re ridiculous.”

Neil only replied by nuzzling further into him. His breath was warm against Todd’s neck. Their shared body heat made the chill bearable and perhaps even comfortable, but Todd’s gaze was focused on the faint pinpricks of light far above them. He furrowed his brow.  
  
“What’s on your mind?” Neil asked, noticing the shift on his face. When they hadn’t known each other for long, Todd had brushed off that question whenever Neil asked it, but now, he was able to freely share his thoughts. He knew Neil would always be willing to hear them. To listen.

Todd exhaled. “I don’t know any constellations.”  
  
“Yeah? Neither do I.”

“My father used to take Jeffrey out to the backyard with our telescope. He’d point out the constellations, teach him about the stars. I could see them from my bedroom window.” Neil watched him intently with an unreadable expression, waiting for him to continue. “He never did that with me. He never even asked.” Todd laughed softly, bittersweet. “It’s like I wasn’t even there, like… like I didn’t even exist.”

Neil was silent for a minute before he leaned up to kiss Todd. Todd’s frown was replaced with the faintest of smiles when their lips parted. “Those constellations are  boring anyway. I say we make our own.” Neil said, pointing at the sky. “Look. There’s, uh…” He scrunched his face together, making Todd giggle at his expression. “Neil Major.” he declared, jutting a finger towards a random cluster of stars.

“And Todd Minor.” Todd added, pointing to another spot in the sky.

“No, no. It’s Todd _Major_ and Neil _Minor_.” said Neil. “And over there, you can find the Greater Todd, and the Northern Todd, and… the Todd Triangle, and that constellation to your left is called… Toddturus.” Todd burst into uncontrollable laughter. “Oh! There’s the Todd Star. You know what, screw it. All the stars are named after you.”  
  
Todd turned to him, their faces close. “How are you gonna tell them apart?”  
  
“Simple, really. That one there is Todd’s Eyes. _That_ one is Todd’s Beautiful Face, Todd’s Gorgeous Smile, Todd’s Laugh, Todd’s Wonderful Voice, To-” Todd shoved Neil, sending him tumbling down the hill a little ways. Neil laughed and pounced back onto him. They grabbed and pushed and shoved at each other, giggling as they flipped and rolled over and over in a playful wrestling match until Neil was pinned underneath Todd.  
  
Todd leaned down to kiss him, but they were both smiling so wide that their teeth only clacked together and made them giggle more. They fell onto their backs once again. Neil pulled Todd in for a proper kiss. It didn’t take long until the kisses grew more passionate. Guided by touch alone in the dim starlight, the feeling of their lips and tongues moving together was all that mattered. After a while, they stopped and let silence fall between them. The breeze and the sound of their breathing were the only things disturbing the quiet. It was peaceful, still, content. They sat like that for a long while, moving only to wrap their arms around each other and shift closer to share each other’s warmth.

“You know in movies when they say they want this moment to never end?” Todd spoke up suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“That’s how I feel right now. Like I just wanna freeze time right where it is and stay here forever.” Todd spoke.

Neil grabbed Todd’s hand for what seemed like the thousandth time that night (not that either of them were complaining) and gave it a squeeze. “Me too.”


End file.
